Sunday, December 25, 2005

Happy Festivus!

"There must be a better way. And, out of that, a new holiday was born. A Festivus, For the Rest Of Us!" — Frank Costanza, Seinfeld

What is Festivus?

Festivus is a holiday held on 23 December of each year. It was created by Mr. Frank Costanza, father of Seinfeld character George Costanza. Frank became tired of holiday commercialism and wanted a holiday for the ordinary person. From this thought Festivus was born: "A Festivus for the rest of us!"

Festivus does not have all the commercial trappings of Christmas and Hanukkah, instead it approaches the holiday as a time to bring the family together and 'bond' with one another.

Festivus begins with the decorating of the Festivus pole, followed by dinner (at which time begins the airing of the grievances). Festivus is brought to closure by the feats of strength competition. And through it all, the family celebrats Festivus with a plain aluminum pole as a decoration.

The Festivus celebration includes three major components:

1. The Airing of Grievances

The airing of the grievances takes place during Festivus supper.

Each member present discusses a grievance they have with someone else present at the table.This list of Grievances Worksheet will help you get your grievances organized.

2. The Feats of Strength

Once dinner is completed, the feats of strength takes place.

This is when the head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant and usually consists of some form of wrestling. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned.

A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

This Official Challenge Card makes challenging someone for your Feats of Strength easy, and fun too!

3. The Festivus Pole

During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed in opposition to the commercialization of the decorated Christmas trees and because the holiday's creator, Frank Costanza "finds tinsel distracting."

Decorations should be kept to a minimum. The idea is to keep the cost down.

About the Festivus Pole:Material - an aluminum pole works wellHeight - about 6 feet tallDiameter - about 2"

Building a stand for your Festivus Pole: A simple stand can keep it upright (a couple of 1x4 boards work well).